The Maid of the Willow World
by Mi Ling Chi
Summary: AU: Rin was but a maid, scampering around in the background of the beautifully made up world of geiko and maiko. She went unnoticed by most, except for by the man who shouldn't have noticed… couldn't have noticed; the government official Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru.
1. Oatmeal

**AN: **Yes, another new story. This is also a 300 word drabble series like Fish Out of Water, but a bit more dramatic than that one. This will be updated daily. Please review.

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Her mama always made oatmeal for Rin whenever the girl had been sad.

Rin didn't know why this came to mind at that moment, there really wasn't a reason to think about the oatmeal her mama made her as a little girl. Her mama was dead, so was her papa; they'd died when she was six.

Still… if there was one pleasant memory to remember here, it was the memory of watching her mother make oatmeal. The oats weren't very high quality, and the water was tinged slightly brown from dirt, but that hadn't mattered to Rin the little girl. Her mama had made her oatmeal. That had been good enough for her as a child.

Now days though, oatmeal wouldn't be able to save Rin from her sadness. Rin was always sad; there was nothing to be happy about, plain and simple. She was a maid at a pour little okiya in Gion Kōbu, running around from dawn 'til dusk to make the geiko and maiko happy, pricking her fingers as she fixed kimonos and burning her hands as she heated water.

Rin had a miserable life; in fact, her name might as well have been Hisan as it literally meant misery.

Being a maid here was miserable, the pay terrible and the work backbreaking. Nevertheless, anything to help her uncle Naraku. The terrible pay went to her uncle, meager as it was, it was all she could manage and that at least made Rin content. There was another thing that at least made this life as a maid tolerable. She could say she was intimately associated with the painted willow life without actually being a geiko or one in training. It wasn't a thing girls back home could say, and that was an accomplishment for plain little Rin.


	2. Toshitsuru

**AN:** Thank you for the reviews. Please review again!

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"Little maid," called one of the geiko. Rin sighed, setting the tray of tea on the floor carefully as she kneeled down to opinion the door. Tradition, tradition, it had to be appeased or she would get a beating.

After rasping on the door three times, Rin slide the shoji open, picked up her tray, and entered. What was this geiko's name? Toshitsuru, clever crane, if Rin recalled correctly. Her name had been Kiyomi before becoming a geiko, but that mattered not. As Rin had learned quickly in the okiya, once a woman took on their geiko name, it was the gravest insult to call her by her original name. Another thing that Rin had also learnt was that maiko, when they took on their geiko name, chose something related to their okiya. All of the geiko and maiko in the okiya Rin worked at had names that ended in -tsuru because this was the Crane Okiya.

As Rin delivered the tea, she noted the kimono thrown onto Clever Crane's bedding, and the bit of mud in it. Great, more work for her.

"Wash it carefully while I'm out, understood little maid?"

Rin nodded, bowing before gently taking the kimono and leaving in the same convoluted fashion as she left.

Small chat amongst the maids and the geiko, or even the maiko, was little to known, though the maiko chatted more with the maids. Rin always attributed this to the geiko being snooty, which was probably the case, and because the maiko remembered their days as maids better since they weren't as far away.

Today seemed like it would be yet another day spent making tea, opening shoji, washing silk, making rice, and dusting. She was a maid, it was what was expected, and it got some money for her uncle.


	3. The Occupants

**AN: **Sesshomaru is mentioned in this chapter, but he is going to be shrouded in mystery for a little.

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In the Crane Okiya, there were four maiko and six geiko, and still it was quite poor. Water dripped everywhere, making the place smell like mold. If it didn't smell of mold, then it smelt of fish that were a week past their prime.

The four maiko were Yukitsuru, Akaitsuru, Tobutsuru, and Hentsuru. The six geiko were Oridtsuru, Jōhintsuru, Toshitsuru, Shūreitsuru, Tadashītsuru, and Kasaitsuru. Of course there was the Oka-san and Oba-san, and about fifteen maids not counting Rin.

The geiko and maiko in the Crane Okiya weren't as popular as the ones from the nearest okiya, the Water Okiya. There were only three willow women in total at the Water Okiya, one maiko and two geiko, but because they weren't of the Crane Okiya, Rin hadn't bothered to learn their names.

Of the geiko in the Crane Okiya, only one of them had a danna and that was Oridtsuru. Some government official Oridtsuru only referred to as Issei-sama. As Rin was not the type, nor did she have the time, to pay attention to politics, Rin didn't really know anything about Issei-sama, just his first name and the highly respectful title that Oridtsuru gave him.

When Rin had entered into being a maid for the Crane Okiya, of course she'd been unaware of how horribly off the okiya was, and they'd been very content in keeping it that way when she signed away twenty years of her life in work to the place. Still, the young woman always tried to make the best of the okiya and did her work well. She didn't gossip or rumor, though every once in a while she caught a whisper or two. And of course, she caught the whisper of the possible danna for Toshitsuru, a man named Sesshōmaru as she'd heard.


	4. Miyakobu!

"I'm out of lip coloring," complained Toshitsuru at the dinner table that night. The Oka-san, the Oba-san, Toshitsuru, Kasaitsuru, Hentsuru, Yukitsuru, and Tobutsuru were the women gathered around, eating their rice lazily.

Rin sat with the bucket of rice, waiting for one of them to offer her their bowl to refill it. She kept her eyes on the floor and her lips closed. She had no part in this conversation.

"Rin 'll get some for you tomorrow," the Oka-san said. Rin tried to recall her name but she couldn't; then again, no one every call the Oka-san by her name either.

Rin bit back a sigh. Even more work for her the next day. Not only would she be washing all of the maikos' kimonos, fixing fans, fixing shoji screens, and sweeping the path out to the kimono shed, she now needed to go out into Gion and get Toshitsuru lip coloring, which also meant she'd end up having to get the groceries and other necessities.

"Moreover," Tobutsuru began, "the maids are whispering again. Who's the lip coloring for Toshitsuru?"

Rin heard Toshitsuru giggle and she could picture the geiko hiding her lips behind the sleeve of her kimono.

"Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru is looking into becoming Toshitsuru's danna," said the Oka-san in her scratchy voice that came from smoking for the past twenty-five years.

"Miyakōbu-sama?!" cried out one voice. Rin recognized it as Yukitsuru. Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru was a high-ranking military official known for not only winning every battle he was in or commanded, but turning in traitors and being as honorable as the long dead samurai. Every man envied him and every woman desired him. If this were true, Toshitsuru would suddenly become the most popular geiko in Gion Kōbu with people trying to get to the war hero through her.


	5. A Day Out

The next day she was out in the shopping potion of Gion Kōbu, not only getting lip coloring, but anything else that the Crane Okiya needed. There was money in her pocket, geta on her feet, and a cloudy sky above her head. The average day shopping she supposed.

Well, there was one thing not so average. The people pointing and whispering.

She knew what it was about; Toshitsuru. Rumors had probably spread beyond the Crane Okiya of Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru's favor towards one of the geiko in the Crane Okiya. The maid was actually surprised that no one had approached her with questions.

When Rin went to buy fish, she got half off out of the 'kindness' of the people working the fish market for 'poor nature' of the Crane Okiya. She knew the reason and it was Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru.

When she went to buy the lip coloring, she got it free, along with more lip coloring then she asked for and make-up that they didn't need. Though, white face paint always was needed in an okiya, especially one with ten willow women.

When Rin went to buy new silk for a kimono or two, she got enough silk so that each willow woman could two new kimonos and she got it for the same price as what she originally went to buy.

Maybe it was good thing that Toshitsuru had gained favor with Miyakōbu-sama. Especially since when she returned to the okiya with everything and extra money, she got the rest of the day off.

Lazily sitting on a bench in the streets, Rin pondered how many more ways Miyakōbu-sama's favor would help the Crane Okiya. She stayed out on the bench until sunset. She noted the people coming and going, and those stopping and staring at the okiya.


	6. Tea Before Bed

When she returned to the Crane Okiya, maids, geiko, and maiko excitedly whispered about something that had occurred while Rin was away. Of course it was obvious what had happened, especially when she saw Toshitsuru's gigantic grin.

Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru had visited.

Rin didn't get involved in all the whispering, nor the rumoring. When she delivered tea to Toshitsuru that evening before bed, as she always did, she didn't ask about the man who was to become her danna.

"Rin-san," Toshitsuru said as Rin was standing to head to the door. Toshitsuru and Rin really didn't speak, Rin didn't really care nor did Toshitsuru. Honestly, that was why Rin delivered tea to the geiko, because Rin didn't make a big deal out of talking. While Rin was a friendly person, and she did like talking, there was nothing to talk about with the geiko and maiko.

"Yes Toshitsuru-sama?"

"I need a red and white kimono so please go to the silk shop tomorrow, and it must be the highest quality silk you can possibly get. Also, please schedule an appointment with Naomi-san for my hair to be done. You have two days for the kimono to be done, and I must have my hair done in two days. Miyakōbu-sama and I will be going to the Floating Lotus Gardens at sunset."

Rin paused, wondering if should she even say the obvious, but the glare she was receiving through the mirror said that she should.

"Of course Toshitsuru-sama. Please forgive my hesitance." Rin bowed to the geiko, waiting to be dismissed.

"Do not let it happen again. You are dismissed."

Rin left the room, happy to be out of the presence of Toshitsuru before she got any more ridiculous ideas for ridiculous tasks. Well, it seemed she'd be back to shopping tomorrow morning.


	7. Thanks

**AN: **Sorry, migraines.

Rin did as she was ordered the next day. Rin made the appointment for Toshitsuru to have her hair done when asked, using the fact it was for Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru to get it in on such short notice. She went to the silk shop and got to look at some of the best silks the shop had to offer. She picked a very pretty one, a white background with red flowers. She also had to use the fact it was for Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru to get it made up into an actual kimono on such short notice.

She felt slightly guilty. Other maids and okiya would never get away with this but because of Toshitsuru and Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru, she was getting away with it. She was underserving of the privilege, but she took it because she didn't want to get beaten for it.

When she returned to the okiya, she informed the Oka-san and Oba-san of what she had done for Toshitsuru since Toshitsuru was out at an ochaya. Actually, all of the maiko and geiko were out ochaya. It was a good thing she supposed, but it was obvious it was only because the belonged to the same okiya that Toshitsuru did.

No one would mention the fact that their sudden spike in popularity was because of Miyakōbu. Rin guessed that no one wanted to admitted that the fact they were surviving now was because of Toshitsuru's soon to-be danna. No one wanted to admit that if Miyakōbu left Toshitsuru, they were back to barely scraping by and being nearly completely ignored by the rest of Gion-Kōbu.

_Miyakōbu_, she thought with a sneer, using his surname even in her mind out of respect, _without you we would be nothing. If I ever meet you, I must thank you for that. _


	8. Ignorance is Bliss

**AN: **There is a poll on my profile. Check it out!

It seemed to become a pattern, this whole Rin being out when the famous Miyakōbu Sesshōmaru was in. Once was chance, twice was coincidence, and three times were obviously a pattern. She didn't mind though, as much a thank you was earned on his part, she really didn't want to taint the image of him in her mind by whoever he might actually be. Because of him, the Crane Okiya was one of the most habitable places now, and the geiko and maiko were now some of the most popular girls in Gion Kōbu.

Rin wasn't stupid, she knew that whoever he actually was, wasn't the war hero people worshipped like a god. He was probably an egotistical jerk who thought he deserved only the best because he'd fought in wars and was descended from a very ancient samurai family line. She was perfectly fine with being in the dark as long as the image of the Crane Okiya's hero was left untainted, naïve as that might be.

So whenever the maid's whispered and eagerly chatted about Miyakōbu and how handsome he was or how charming he was, Rin managed to sneak out of the room unnoticed. She didn't want to know, it wasn't necessary.

That was where Rin was at right now, sniffing flowers at a flower shop in the regular part of Kyoto, wistfully thinking about how lucky she was, or perhaps how unlucky. Who knew? Not even Rin could tell. She was lucky in some ways, not a willow woman, and ignorant of the man who'd made her miserable life less miserable. But unlucky in others, such as being a maid for probably the rest of the life, running the risk of becoming a willow woman, and never having the chance to stop and fall in love.


	9. His Introduction

**AN: **Don't forget about the poll on my profile.

He was respected, adored, and worshipped simply because he had fought for his country in the past. It didn't really make much sense to him, Sesshōmaru, because there were plenty of other men who'd fought in the same battles, or done even more heroic things, and survived, yet they had only had a fraction of the fan base that he had.

What made even less sense to him was the fact that they worshipped him like a god, when the ignored any other war hero who came home handicapped. Some heroes he knew came home missing a finger, or a toe, yet Sesshōmaru came home missing an arm and no one mentioned it. Sure, he wore traditional garb with overly large sleeves to hide his handicap, but it was flat out obvious when he moved that the sleeve moved much differently.

People were stupid, was his final attempt at rationalizing the insaneness of the people. They were flat out insane, unpredictable, and vain. He had determined the vainness portion from the fact he was pretty, and people were always commenting on the fact that he was pretty.

Why he spent his time in Gion-kobu though, that was the real question, and also a very obvious question to answer. As vain as the people were, and as insanely stupid as they were, they also had standards. They'd worship him as a god, but a woman would never marry him since he had only one arm. Gion-Kōbu, or any other district like it, had beautiful women who wanted him as a lover. Also, Gion-Kōbu and other districts has saké so he could drown his misery away.

Sesshōmaru's life was a good one, even if he decided that people were stupid, and the only women he could stand were the ones he paid.


End file.
